An apparatus of the generic type is known from EP-A-0,182,967. This apparatus has a gripping arm which has suction grippers and by means of which a folding-box blank is removed from a magazine. The gripping arm is then pivoted and displaced in a translatory manner in order to move the blank to a stationary abutment, which likewise has suction grippers. As soon as the abutment has gripped the rear side of the blank, the gripping arm is pivoted away again, with the result that the box is erected.
DE-A-29,37,129 discloses a further carton-erecting means. This carton-erecting means has a removal unit which can be displaced perpendicularly to the magazine stack and has suction grippers for gripping a carton blank. When the blank is removed, it is opened slightly by a tongue-like element. The carton is then opened further, and erected, during continued lowering movement of the removal unit, by way of a two-legged supporting element, the legs of which can be changed in respect of their angle in relation to one another by means of compressed air.
Further erecting apparatuses are known from DE-A-39,30,720, EP-A-0,434,961, DE-A-39,41,866 and EP-A-0,440,940. These apparatuses have multi-armed star-shaped rotors, of which the arms are provided with suction grippers. In each case one arm removes a blank from the magazine stack, by attaching a first box wall by suction, and transports the latter over a circular path. During the transportation, a lever arm which is arranged laterally on the arm is then actuated, the lever arm pressing on a second box wall, which is adjacent to the first box wall, and thus erecting the box.
The known apparatuses have the disadvantage that they take up a relatively large amount of space. In addition, they require a relatively long period of time for the removal and erecting operations, because the blank has to be transported away from the magazine before it can be erected.